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e-ISSN: 2278-5728, p-ISSN: 2319-765X. Volume 11, Issue 1 Ver. V (Jan - Feb. 2015), PP 16-25
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Abstracts: The research was an experimental study carried out to determine the efficacy of Problem-Based
Learning on senior secondary school students achievement in trigonometry. A sample of 365 out of 4162
senior secondary school two students from four secondary schools in Northern educational zone of cross River
State was used. The items of the instrument were validated by two mathematics educators, two experts in
measurement and evaluation and one mathematics teacher. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer
the research questions while ANCOVA was employed to test the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The
result was analyzed to verify whether any significant difference existed in the achievement of problem-based
learning group and conventional group, as well as significant gender difference in their achievement. The study
revealed that there existed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in favour of the
experimental class. The male and female SS students exhibit equal knowledge when taught trigonometry using
PBL. The findings also revealed that there is no significant interaction effect between teaching method and
gender on students achievement in trigonometry. Based on the findings of the this study, it was recommended
that problem-based learning may be integrated into mathematics curriculum for the pre-service mathematics
teachers programme as well as authors of mathematics education methods should be encouraged to include
PBL in their writings.
I.
Introduction
Mathematics education in Nigeria seems to be passing through the furnace of transformation. This
could be inferred from the efforts of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) in the last few decades to
popularize the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels of instruction. Consequently, the mere
knowledge of mathematical concepts without the corresponding knowledge of their application to real life
seems to be fading away. This among other things has influenced human learning and challenged educators,
especially in the area of mathematics education, to experiment with innovative instructional methods for core
curriculum across all levels of educational system. In Nigeria, mathematics has continued to be one of the core
subjects at all levels of education so that, every child will acquire appropriate mathematical skills and
knowledge to solve human problems in all spheres of life (Nigerian Educational Research and Development
Council [NERDC], 2008).
Learning and understanding of some mathematics topics have not only been frustrated by the nature of
the topics but also by clumsy methods and instructional materials used (Etukudo, 2000; Etukudo & Utin, 2006).
The resultant effect is the poor achievement level of students both in internal and external examinations. In view
of this, Iji (2002) in trying to find solution to this ugly situation of poor performance in mathematics in public
examination identified teaching techniques by the teachers as one of the contributory factors. This point to the
fact that good teaching helps the learners to learn more qualitatively and quantitatively and poor teaching would
lead to poor learning and poor performance. One may associate this poor mathematics achievement by Nigerian
students to some pedagogies adopted (Salau, 2002). He lamented on poor achievement of students in
mathematics and points out that introduction of suitable instructional materials and methods are the likely
solution. Literature and available records have shown a variety of efficacious innovative teaching strategies that
have been identified by researchers to alleviate this problem of poor performance of students in mathematics,
but their performance continues to deteriorate year after year. However, none of these research efforts has
sought solution to this problem from the dimension of using student-centred and home-based activity approach
to teaching- which is Problem based learning (PBL).
According to Shaibu and Usman in Kurumeh (2006), involvement of students in the teaching and
learning process which means a departure from the traditional methods of teaching is another means of ensuring
active learning in science and mathematics. The call for a departure from traditional methods of teaching with
its attendant poor performance indices has been sounded by researchers ( Okebukola, 2002; Iji, 2005; Etukudo
& Utin, 2006; Abakpa, 2011 ; Mtsem, 2011). This is with the intension of obtaining admirable results.
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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II.
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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The question can be answered that there is a noticed difference between mean achievement scores of
students taught using PBL and those taught using Conventional Method with students taught using PBL
achieving higher.
Source
Type III Sum of
df
Mean Square
F-value
Sig.
Squares
Corrected Model
21300.677a
2
10650.338
1215.751
.000
Intercept
176.903
1
176.903
20.194
.000
Pre-TAT
17480.155
1
17480.155
1995.385
.000
Group
3214.924
1
3214.924
366.988
.000
Error
3074.863
351
8.760
Total
1266463.000
354
Corrected Total
24375.540
353
P = .00 < .05
Source
Pre- TAT
Post-TAT
Male
female
Male
Female
Difference
Male
Female
Difference
or
Mean
Std. Deviation
44.11
43.05
1.05
64.40
63.85
0.55
5.18
6.01
55
55
7.65
7.33
55
55
From Table 3, it can be seen in the experimental group that, at pr-TAT the 55 male students had mean
achievement of 44.11 with standard deviation of 5.18 while the 55 female students had 43.05 with standard
deviation of 6.01. The calculated mean difference between the male and female students at pre-TAT is 1.05.
This is an infinitesimal difference. This means that before the commencement of the treatment in the
experimental group, male students have similar knowledge level in trigonometry with the female students. After
the treatment, the mean achievement scores of male students in post-TAT were 64.40 with standard deviation of
7.65 and that of female students was 63.85 with standard deviation of 7.33. The difference is just 0.55. This
means that there is no difference between male and female students in their achievement taught trigonometry
using PBL.
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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df
Mean Square
2
1
1
1
107
110
109
2576.88
195.43
5145.57
15.39
8.58
F-value
ig.
300.20
22.78
599.45
1.79
.00
.00
.00
.18
Table 4, reading across row heading Sex and column heading Sig. (Group: Sig =.18) for the
significant difference between male and female students taught using PBL. The associated probability is 0.18 =
p. Since p is greater than 0.05 the difference noticed between male and female students achievement scores
noticed in Table 3 is statistically not significant. So the hypothesis is not rejected. The conclusion is that there is
no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught trigonometry
using PBL.
Interaction effect of gender and teaching method is read from Table 5 using row heading Group * Sex and column
heading Partial Eta Squared which the value is .005. In percentage, it is0.005 100 = 0.5%. So, interaction effect of gender and method on
students achievement scores is only 0.5%.
TABLE
5
:
INTERACTION
OF
TEACHING
METHOD
AND
GENDER
ON
MEAN
ACHIEVEMENT SCORES OF STUDENTS IN TRIGONOMETRY.
Dependent Variable: Post-TAT
Source
Corrected Model
Intercept
Group
Sex
Pre-TAT
Group * Sex
Error
Total
Corrected Total
df
Mean Square
4
1
1
1
1
1
349
354
353
5329.621
170.474
3182.973
9.216
17487.400
14.687
8.759
F
608.441
19.462
363.375
1.052
1996.398
1.677
Sig.
.000
.000
.000
.306
.000
.196
Partial Eta
Squared
.875
.053
.510
.003
.851
.005
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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The result in Table 3 shows the pre-TAT mean achievement scores of 44.11 and 43.05 for the male and
female students respectively in the PBL group were low compared to the their post-TAT mean scores of 64.40
and 63.85 for males and females. This implies that before treatment, the experimental group male students had
similar knowledge level of trigonometry with the female students. This also shows that after treatment, the PBL
group had brought about improvement in their mean achievement scores. Moreso, their standard deviations of
7.65 and 7.33 for males and females had shown their equal spread around their means. Table 4 shows the
associated probability value of .18 which is greater than .05 level of significance. Therefore, there is no
significance difference between the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught trigonometry
using PBL. This implies that both male and female students in the experimental group performed equally in the
study of trigonometry. This finding is in agreement with Olagunju (2002), and Etukudo and Utin (2006) who
found no significance relationship between male and female students achievement in general mathematics.
However, the finding is in variance with Kurumeh (2006) and Achor,Imoko and Ajai (2010) who found the
existence of significant difference between male and female students, with female students benefiting more
significantly than their male counterparts
From Table 5, F(1,353) = 1.68 and p = .20 > .05 level of significance along the Group*sex row ,
implies there is no statistical interaction effects of PBL and gender on students achievement in trigonometry
(Figure 2). The implication is that achievement of both male and female students in trigonometry concept is not
affected by gender factor. Therefore, the change in the achievement scores of male and female students in PBL
group was the same within the period of this study. This finding is in agreement with Olagunju (2001) who
found no significant difference between the general performance of boys and girls in mathematics achievement
test. Also, this finding is in conformity with Musa and Agwagah (2006) who found that there was no significant
interaction effect between mode of evaluation and gender students achievement in mensureation and geometry.
The reason for this finding may be due to the fact that PBL is gender friendly. However, this finding is at
variance to the findings of Iji (2002) and Abakpa (2011) who found that there was a significant interaction
effect of teaching method and gender on students achievement in geometry aspect of school mathematics in
favour of males.
DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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Based on the analysis of the data in the study, the following conclusions have been reached: The Use
of Problem-Based Learning9PBL) method enhanced significantly students achievement in SS2 trigonometry
than the Conventional Teaching Method (CTM). Male and female students achieve higher scores in TAT, their
mean gain achievement scores taught using PBL was not statistically significant.
In general, the method (PBL) has positive influence on the subjects of this study as indicated in their mean
performance.
The findings of this study and their educational implications have necessitated the following recommendations:
1 Since PBL appears to be relatively new, it may be integrated into mathematics curriculum for the preservice mathematics teacher education programme. This may help them to learn and use it in their teachinglearning process.
2 Workshops and seminars should be organized for pre-service mathematics teachers on the principle of
problem-based learning.
3 Teacher trainers in Colleges of Education, Faculty of Education, Institute of Education and Ministries of
Education and professional bodies should be encouraged to promote PBL method of teaching as an
innovation in the teaching-learning process.
4 Authors of mathematics education methods should be encouraged to include PBL in their writings.
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DOI: 10.9790/5728-11151625
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F-value
811.266
20.933
12.296
1693.150
1.163
Sig.
.000
.000
.001
.000
.281
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